The snow leopard is an elusive member of the cat family living in the remote mountain ranges of Central Asia. It is now critically endangered as numbers in the wild have fallen to as low as 3,500. They are killed by local herdsmen to protect their flocks and their fur and body parts are sold to the traditional Chinese medicine trade.

The project will improve understanding of the snow leopard ecology, behaviour and habitat requirements in order to design and implement effective conservation measures. At the same time, outreach and community workers will engage with 280 families living alongside snow leopard territory to facilitate greater understanding of this wild cat and to instigate income generating initiatives, such as wool handicrafts, to reduce the financial pressures which can lead to the killing of the snow leopard.